Inspiration 9

How much inspiration can one bike require?  I guess we'll find out.


The metalwork is cool on this bike.  The rivets are a nice detail.
http://www.bikeexif.com/honda-cb550-custom


I like the paint finish on this bike.  Also a good use of perforated metal.  Lastly, they used stainless mesh cover for the cables, which I might want to try.
http://www.returnofthecaferacers.com/2013/07/moto-sumisura-bmw-k100.html



I like the controls on this bike; just a few simple toggle switches.  And the tach is made from an Ikea jug!
http://www.bikeexif.com/yamaha-xt600z



I love the black and aluminum look.  Classic.  I am also intrigued by the small headlight.  The tach is really nice too.
http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2013/8/7/ducati-pantah-ducafe-medaza-cycles.html


This bike closed off the air box like I plan to, but it isn't done very cleanly.
http://www.bikeexif.com/surfboard-motorcycle










This is a nice BMW.  They closed off the air box much nicer.  Funny to find two like this in close succession.
http://www.bikeexif.com/1976-bmw-r75














This is a black beauty.  Clean exhaust.
http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2013/9/3/yamaha-xvs400-atlas-bandit9.html


I like the integrated front turn signals on this bike.
http://www.bikeexif.com/suzuki-st400-tempter


This is a BMW commissioned bike.  A modern version of mine.
http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2013/5/25/bmw-concept-ninety-roland-sands.html


Beautiful clean, raw metal.
http://www.bikeexif.com/1995-harley-davidson-sportster

Apple Adjustment

After attaching one branch of the apple tree to the fence to pull it outward, the entire tree started leaning that way, so I was forced to add an additional support:

Note the custom details:

Notched base for gripping the brick.

Concave face with hose for cradling the trunk.

Side Yard Stepping Stones

We added some stepping stones to the side yard to make it easier to roll things around the gas meter and garage door step.  Previously, a trash can or wagon would often put one wheel in the rocks when going around those things.

As a refresher, here's what the side yard looked like when we got the house:

The Garage is Shedding Tools

And they are going into our new shed.
I got tired of the lawn mower and other garden items cluttering up the garage; plus it was inconvenient to have to walk to the garage from the back yard to get those tools, so we decided to get a shed which the lawn mower doesn't fit in, at least not fully assembled.

OSH was having a shed sale, so we went to check out the selection.  I actually brought the mower and various garden tools to make sure they would fit.  We really liked this shed because it was all one injection molded part, instead of a potentially flimsy flat-pack unit, plus it already had shelves.  We were disappointed the mower didn't fit, but we also liked how compact this one was and didn't want to move up to a bigger one, so we fiddled around and discovered on the spot that it is very easy to pop the handle off and slide the mower in vertically.
We used the company pickup once again to transport the shed and created a brick and gravel base for it along the fence.  Don't tell anybody, but we didn't install the lock.

Here is that area pre-shed.

High Hook

Before

 The back of the house has had this hook in it since we moved in.  For a long time I thought it might be useful, so I left it where it was.  After not using it for a year, I decided I was tired of looking at it and removed it.

After

Another Street Find

Just in time for Chrissy's birthday party, we spotted this tiki bar on the street while on a bike ride.  We went back the next day with the trusty company pickup and snagged it.  The condition is a little rough, but we figured it would be fun for the party and we can get rid of it after that if we want to.

Aerobic Aeration

One portion of our lawn was looking a little brown and water seemed to run right off it into the drain, so I decided it needed a good aerating.  I bought this manual aerator on Amazon and went to town.

It worked pretty darn well, with each subsequent stab pushing out the core of the previous one.  Now it looks like we have a bunch of little turds on the lawn.  I hope it helps.

Meteorite Strike?

We discovered a mystery divot in our patio and have no idea how it happened (it is about 1.5 inches in diameter and half an inch deep).  It appeared directly after Chrissy's wild birthday party, but I can't imagine anybody did anything that could do this to concrete at the party.  My guess is a meteorite.

Coated Kitchen and Dining

We finally painted the kitchen and dining room.  We went with Bitch-Ass Beige (technically Kilim Beige) as the main color and Roycroft Copper Red, which required three coats, for the accent wall.

We are very pleased with the way it turned out, although the wall color is a little too similar to the tile.  I guess we have to redo the counter-tops now.

Enjoy the pictures below.

Kitchen Before

Dining Room Before

FYI, the paint is from Sherwin Williams.

Cylinder Removal

As you can see, I got the cylinders off the motorcycle.  Both they and the pistons look pretty good.

After removing the heads, there are no additional fasteners holding the cylinder "barrels" on, so it was just a matter of sliding them off.  Of course they didn't come willingly, so I had to persuade them with some gentle taps with the dead blow hammer.  Interestingly, they didn't have gaskets or a large O-ring at the base, which my literature indicates should be there.

Have to be careful not to let the piston clank down onto the studs.

 It's barely an engine any more.

 I measured the bore and pistons and they are within spec, so I will just give the cylinders a quick hone and slap some new rings on it and it should be good to go.  The heads, however, are definitely going to the machinist to have the exhaust valves checked/fixed.

Blind Reduction

Kitchen Before

Some of the blinds in our house were not adjusted to the proper length when they were installed, so there was a stack of useless slats sitting at the bottom all the time, making them heavier and more difficult to operate.  I tackled two sets by removing the extra slats.  The first set was in the kitchen, over the sink.

Kitchen After

The second set was in the living room, to the right of the fireplace.

Living Room Before

Living Room After

There is one more that needs to be done in the guest room, but we will take care of it soon.  I might not even post about it.

Let There be (Sky) Light, Pt. 2

Before (approximately). Pretty dark, right?

Our guest bathroom has no windows, therefore it was very dark without the light on.

After the misery of installing the hallway skylight, I vowed to do the next one first thing in the morning and with plenty of help.  It turned out to be a good decision.  With the help of my dad, uncle, and cousin, the bathroom skylight went in much easier, and a little less sweat.

And the difference in the bathroom is incredible.  There is no longer any need to use the light during the day, which was the goal.  We are very pleased with the result.

After